You are probably often tempted to buy a new device.
Amazon is having a sale, Apple is launching a new product, or Samsung is offering something that looks really innovative.
But how do you decide what to buy?
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Of course, you should read ZDNET’s expert advice as a first step, but there are so many personal aspects to the decision-making process that can cost you anywhere from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars. So how do you do that?
I want to offer you a personal barometer for tech purchases. I want you to think about your wardrobe.
Who are you carrying?
Maybe you’re one of those people who doesn’t care much about clothes. Or maybe you just claim that you don’t care about clothes.
On the other hand, you may be someone who takes some personal pride in what you wear, how you wear it, and how much you’re willing to pay for a particular item of clothing.
For most people there are certain basic needs such as shirts, socks, dresses and coats. However, they spend different amounts depending on how important these items are to them—and, more importantly, how these items reflect their own personality, self-image, and life.
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Try to take the same mindset with your tech purchases.
Ask yourself whether a particular technology is essential, optional, or just dubious. Then ask yourself whether it is a utility brand, a medium-sized brand or a fashion brand.
No, Apple is not quite Gucci, but the image is certainly higher than that of Samsung, for example Banana Republic – Yes, it turned out to be quite high quality, but not quite – or that from Dell Ross dress for less.
How does it fit?
Once you’ve decided on a brand, think about the individual item.
When it comes to a piece of clothing, you may wonder how often you will wear it. When considering a technology, ask yourself how often you will use it.
When it comes to an item of clothing, you may wonder how it fits with the other pieces in your wardrobe and whether you’ll be able to create compatible outfits. When it comes to technology, you should ask yourself a very similar question. Will it sync with everything else? Will it mesh well with the choices you’ve already made? And will it somehow improve the way you live, work and present yourself?
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Will it actually make you feel good for more than a few days?
Also think about how long it took you to purchase a particular item of clothing. Was this an impulse purchase? Or have you thought for a while about whether it was worth it, whether it would make you feel good, or whether any of these things ultimately even matter?
Tolerable or wearable?
But what about wearables?
You may have already had experience with smartwatches. Did you choose the device you bought because of its technical quality? Or did you choose this because you could get a bracelet in your favorite color?
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And if you’re seduced by, say, Humane’s AI pin, will you really wear it all the time? Will you get tired of looking at your own palm for information? Or does it mark you as a certain type of person that you don’t want to be?
Do the wardrobe test again and then decide.
Of course, there’s another question: Is this piece of technology far outside your usual look – and are you drawn to it for purely irrational reasons?
Think about clothes that you really wanted (thought you wanted) in the past, but decided not to buy. How often are you filled with regret? And how many times have you wondered what the hell you were even thinking?
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There are so many gadgets to choose from now. Purchasing decisions are difficult, so please give yourself the freedom you need. Before making any technology purchase decision, do the wardrobe test and give really honest answers.
If you need visual aids, go to your closet, open it, stare at it—and consider whether it relates to your technology use.
You may find that it is closer than you thought.